Five new films, including “Spiral” (Lionsgate) from the lucrative “Saw” franchise, opened wide (at least 600 theaters) stateside.
That is by far the biggest studio commitment to any week in a long time, with three at one time usually the most, and four rare.Mid-May is normally prime for movie releases.
This year, it’s Memorial Day when more prime titles will open.
Optimism remains for then, but for now it’s treading water time.
The expected much bigger “A Quiet Place Part II” (Paramount) along with “Cruella” (Disney) on May 28 will be a much better test of how close theaters are to providing grosses commensurate with their potential.But a Top 10 of $24 million, with an overall take of perhaps $26 million, remains anemic considering the increased number of fresh films, combined with more theaters plus a general greater sense of safety in theaters.
That sense is led above all by how “Spiral” did.
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